A small club in northern Bavaria that for a moment almost made it to the big time.
The club was founded in 1921 when the soccer section of TuSpo Bayreuth decided to rid itself of gymnastic influence and split to form an independant club. However success on the field was modest, as the club failed to make an impact and remained mired in the amateur ranks. In 1933 SpVgg was banned by the Nazis for Arbeitersport (worker's sport), and it wasn't until after WW-II that the club could start again.
Generally just a regional Bavarian squad, Bayreuth was on the verge of a breakthrough in the 1970s. The highpoint was probably 1979, when Bayreuth finished 2nd in the 2.Liga-Süd. In the promotion playoff to the Bundesliga, they were beaten by Bayer Uerdingen (1-1,1-2). The misery of others helped out in the late 1980s: twice relegated in 1988 and 1989, they were reprived as Oberhausen and then Offenbach were denied licenses.
Recent History:
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1963-64 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 5th
1964-65 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 3rd
1965-66 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 11th
1966-67 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 8th
1967-68 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 5th
1968-69 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 1st
1969-70 (II) Regionalliga Sud 16th
1970-71 (III) Amateurliga Bayern 1st
1971-72 (II) Regionalliga Süd 13th
1972-73 (II) Regionalliga Süd 4th
1973-74 (II) Regionalliga Süd 5th
1974-75 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 9th
1975-76 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 5th
1976-77 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 14th
1977-78 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 4th
1978-79 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 2nd
1979-80 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 13th
1980-81 (II) 2.Bundesliga-Süd 9th
1981-82 (II) 2.Bundesliga 20th
1982-83 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 3rd
1983-84 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 4th
1984-85 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 1st
1985-86 (II) 2.Bundesliga 18th
1986-87 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 3rd
1987-88 (II) 2.Bundesliga 17th
1988-89 (II) 2.Bundesliga 17th
1989-90 (II) 2.Bundesliga 18th
1990-91 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 14th
1991-92 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 9th
1992-93 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 13th
1993-94 (III) Am.Oberliga Bayern 12th
1994-95 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 2nd
1995-96 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 2nd
1996-97 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 2nd
1997-98 (V) Landesliga Bayern-Nord 1st
1998-99 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 17th
2000-01 (IV) Landesliga Bayern-Nord 1st
2001-02 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 7th
2002-03 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 4th
2003-04 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 7th
2004-05 (IV) Oberliga Bayern 1st
2005-06 (III) Regionalliga Süd 10th
2006-07 (III) Oberliga Bayern 3rd
2007-08 (III) Oberliga Bayern 3rd
(c) Abseits Guide to Germany: www.abseits-soccer.com